Seafood Chowder

We have just returned from a gorgeous week long winter escape to Tasmania - just the thing to bring a bit of joy to what is often mid year blah-ness. I was lucky enough to win return flights to Hobart courtesy of Destination Tasmania, so the trip was an unexpected and much welcomed surprise. We had already decided there would be no trips for us this year, as we saving to buy a house over there, but it seems that the Goddess had other ideas and so off we went!

Tasmania in winter is just beautiful - cold? well yes.... we actually got snowed on as we stood on the banks of an alpine lake taking in the pristine beauty of it. Little snowflakes fluttering down on a face numbing wind. Breathtaking - literally! But with the harsh winter, there is also a lovely cosy feel too - the smell of wood smoke and open fires, everyone rugged up against the cold. And of course, plenty of seasonal comfort food - which is the inspiration for today's recipe.

Filled with fresh seafood and flavoured with leeks and eschallots, my seafood chowder will more than warm the cockles of your heart - especially when served with warm crusty bread on a cold winter night. I used fish, scallops and prawns for my version, but you can use any seafood really. It is also beautiful with the addition of mussels and clams. For a budget friendly version, you can use just fish and it will still be delicious.

As well as my chowder recipe, I also wanted to share a new addition to my kitchen. I have been searching for an old copper kettle for ages, and was thrilled to find one in Hobart. Being an antique, it has a few bumps and mends on it - but no holes, which is the important part! I think it is just beautiful and has heaps of character. It's going to be a pleasure to use. I love the thought of using something that has a history - I wish my new kettle could talk and tell me where it's been and whose households it has been a part of. Here it is, pre- polish.

My Antique Copper Kettle

Now back to the chowder - it is best eaten freshly made and is not suitable to freeze. But it is so delicious you're unlikely to have any leftovers. Serve it will warm crusty bread and lashings of butter. Roaring winter fire optional.

Seafood Chowder

You will need: 400g firm white fish cut into cubes, 6 large shelled and de-veined prawns, 6 scallops, 1 large potato, 1 small carrot, 1 leek- white part only, 4-6 eschallots, 1 clove finely chopped garlic, 2 cups fish or vegetable stock, 2 cups milk, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons plain flour, 2 pinches cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, a little extra olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Peel and finely dice the carrot and potato. Set aside.

Finely slice the leek and eschallots. In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the leeks and eschallots on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until very soft. Do not let them brown. Add the garlic, carrot and potato, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.

Cut your prawns and scallops in half and season them with salt and pepper. Heat a little extra olive oil in the pan and cook them quickly on a high heat. The idea is to sear them and give them a little colour - they do not have to be cooked right through, as they will continue to cook in the chowder later. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Now add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Once bubbling gently, add the plain flour. With a wire whisk, combine the flour and butter thoroughly. It is important to use a whisk and not a spoon, as this will stop any lumps forming. Cook the butter/flour mixture for a few minutes on a medium heat.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the stock, combining well. Now return to the heat. Add the cayenne and milk and whisk it through. The mixture will start to thicken slightly. Add the vegetables back into the pot. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. If the chowder is too thick, add a little extra milk.

Add the fish and stir gently through. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes before adding the prawns, scallops and 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if required.

Spoon into bowls, top with the remaining parsley and serve with warm crusty bread. Serves 4 people.

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Warm Carrot Salad with Goat Cheese

So I came home from work last night and was about to throw together a quick rather bog-standard salad to have with some grilled meat for dinner, when I decided that I actually wanted something a lot more tasty and a bit more interesting. I checked the fridge and found I had a couple of bunches of heirloom carrots - one orange bunch and one gorgeous purple bunch. They became the inspiration for a side dish that was so delicious I'd thought I'd share it with you.

This dish is super easy and would also work as a vegetarian starter or main course, as well as a side dish. In addition to the lovely carrots, I used sweet red onions, a bunch of asparagus, fresh continental parsley from the garden, creamy, tangy goat cheese, a little olive oil, balsamic, black pepper and sea salt - and that's about it. Very simple, but full of flavour.

As well as having a great flavour and nice contrasting textures, I loved how colourful the dish looked on the plate. If you haven't seen the purple carrots at your greengrocer, ask for them. They used to be a bit hard to find but are becoming a lot more common now. They look great and taste beautiful, especially when roasted.

I enjoyed this salad so much that I will definitely be making it again. Here at Gourmet Goddess we say - down with boring side salads! Three cheers for finding new and delish ways to eat your vegies!

Roasted Carrot Salad with Goat's Cheese

You will need: 2 large orange carrots, 2 large purple carrots, 1 large red onion, 1 bunch asparagus, 50g goat cheese, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, about 1 tablespoon olive oil, sea salt, pepper, 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.

Method: First, prepare the vegetables. Cut the carrots into thick juliennes. Cut the woody ends off the asparagus and then cut each asparagus spear in half. Cut the onion into eight largish chunks.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a tray with baking paper and place the carrots and onion on the tray. Brush or spray with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, turning over the vegetables once during cooking.

In a grill pan or fry pan, cook the asparagus with a little olive oil, and some salt at a high heat for a few minutes until they start to char.

Allow the vegetables to cool a little before assembling the salad. Layer the vegetables and crumbled goat cheese on a serving plate. Drizzle over olive oil, balsamic and season with a little salt nad black pepper.

Sprinkle over the fresh parsley and serve.

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Lucky Duck

Well hello and Happy New Year to you all! I'm back from our South Coast getaway but very lucky to still be on holidays at the moment. To say that our household has been in extreme sloth mode would be an understatement - plenty of book reading, movie watching and long afternoon naps. Food wise, there has been a lot of sushi consumption, as well as Frosty Fruits and Caramel Cornettos eaten in front of the air conditioner as we try to escape the heat. In our hot Australian Summer, it makes perfect sense to eat light, fresh and flavourful food - and nothing fits the bill more than my favourite Asian cuisine, Vietnamese.

This week I decided to make a version of the classic crispy Vietnamese pancake - a restaurant fave for me - but with a different filling from the usual pork, prawn and beansprout one. I'm on a mission to use up freezer and pantry items right now and I didn't really want have to go out and do a special shop for all the ingredients, so I just used what I had. Checking in the freezer I found I had a couple of duck breasts and I thought they would lend themselves really well to this dish. The freshness of the herbs, the aromatics of turmeric and coconut and the tang of the lime and chillies are the perfect contrast to the rich duck meat.

These pancakes are extremely easy to put together and make a perfect meal by themselves, or part of a shared Summer buffet. I served the pancakes with nuoc cham, the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce - also very easy to make and which gives this dish a very authentic feel. I made quite a mild version today but add heaps more chillies if you want something with more of a kick. You can of course fill the pancake with all kinds of things - the pork belly and prawn combination that is very popular, chicken, minced pork, spicy tofu or even fish. You could also skip that all together and just do a super light salad version. Although I didn't use fresh beansprouts in my recipe (just because I couldn't be bothered going out and buying any!) I do think they add a beautiful crunch to this kind of pancake and when I make this again, I will actually get off my backside and go and get some.

Crispy Duck Pancakes

with Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce)

The method I have used for cooking the duck is a really good one to know and one that I use every time I cook it. Follow the steps and you will end up with a super crispy skin and succulent flesh, but without oiliness. Just render that skin gradually and drain off the fat as you go, then finish in the oven, rest the meat properly and you will have perfect duck every time.

In GG restaurant news, later this week we are heading off to Neil Perry's Spice Temple - you might recall last year I reviewed the Melbourne restaurant after having lunch there and really loving it. We are visiting Spice Temple in our own city this time around and I'm really craving chilli at the moment, so this will definitely fit the bill. Many of the dishes are eye wateringly, lip tinglingly spicy and I want to get a big dose of that. Just what you want in Summer I think (although Andrew doesn't share my penchant for the numbingly spicy, so I might be going it alone with some of the dishes!)

We are also off to Matt Moran's Chiswick in early February - taking Lady Nanette (aka Grandma) and my Aunt and Uncle in law (is that a real term?) Meg and Mark out for a special Sunday lunch when they visit from Canberra. I have been curious to check out Chiswick after driving past and seeing their on site garden where they grow produce for the restaurant. This will be a perfect excuse to visit. I will be sure to report back and let you know how it was. I'm told that the produce is really top notch, and that it is the perfect lunch venue, with it's garden surroundings. I'll ignore the fact that heading to the Eastern Suburbs always makes me slightly twitchy - that Stepford Wives vibe, boat shoes, Joh Bailey hair and too much Botox. All kinds of scary! But you know me, if the food is good - I'm going there!

Anyway, back to today's recipe - This is the first time I have had a go at making Vietnamese pancakes and I was really happy with the result. My version is a combination of a couple of different recipes I'd read and I think that this hybrid of mine worked really well. I was flying by the seat of my pants a bit, but the result was something I would happily make again. Hope that you are inspired to give it a try too.

Crispy Duck Pancakes with Nuoc Cham
You will need:
For the pancakes -1 1/2 cups rice flour, 2 tbs cornflour, 1 x 400ml can coconut milk, 1 cup iced water,1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, Pinch of white pepper, 2 tbs peanut oil

For the filling - 2 duck breasts (skin on), 1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onion, 1 small carrot julienned very finely, 1/2 small red capsicum, julienned very finely,1 small Lebanese cucumber julienned very finely, 1 bunch fresh coriander, handful of fresh mint leaves. Have extra lime, mint, chillies and coriander on hand to garnish the dish.

For the sauce (nuoc cham) - 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 tbs water, 1 tbs caster sugar, 1 or 2 red chillies de-seeded and finely chopped, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped.

Method: First, make the batter. Whisk the rice flour and the corn flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Season with white pepper. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon. If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more rice flour. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight to rest.

For the sauce, simply combine all of the ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Now, cook the duck breasts. Heat the oven to 200C. Score the skin of the duck in a criss cross pattern - don't cut in to the duck flesh, you should score the skin only.Heat a non stick fry pan over a low-medium heat. Sit the duck skin-side down in the pan and allow to gently fry for around 10-12 minutes. Gradually, the fat from the skin will begin to render away - drain away the fat as this happens. Take your time with this step and don't be tempted to turn up the heat - we want the skin to be golden and crispy, not burnt. Turn the duck breasts over so they are skin-side up, and allow to cook for about a minute more.

Now place the duck on an oven tray, skin side up and allow to cook further in the preheated oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the duck to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

Now to the pancakes - Brush a fry pan generously with the peanut oil. Heat over a high heat until the pan is smoking. Add one-quarter of the flour mixture and tilt pan, swirling batter to cover base and slightly up the side. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the batter is golden underneath. Place one-quarter of the duck breast and a sprinkle of spring onion onto half the pancake and then fold it over. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Repeat with the rest of the ingredients until you have four pancakes. Fill the pancakes with the cucumber, carrot, capsicum, spring onion, mint and coriander. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with the nuoc cham (sauce), garnish with some extra lime, fresh chillies, mint and coriander. Serve right away.

Makes 4 generous pancakes.

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Autumnal Inspiration

I just love this time of the year when you feel everything changing, as we  transition into winter. I am a cold weather person and I thrive in Autumn and Winter. The colder weather seems to spark my creativity a lot more and it is always a very productive time for me. This is particularly true of what I choose to cook and eat. With all of the summer produce disappearing and the cold weather ingredients beginning to be available, I am inspired with new possibilities when I visit the greengrocer.

This week I decided to roast some beef for our Saturday night dinner, but thought I would forget about the basic roasted vegetables and look at some seasonal flavours and accompaniments for it. To start with, I flavoured the beef with celery, paprika and juniper, giving the beef a lovely aroma and a delicious flavour and warmth. As always, I cooked the meat on the Weber, over the coals, but you can of course use a conventional oven if you want to.

We received a bunch of beetroot, organic carrots and some gorgeous kipfler potatoes in our fruit and vegetable box this week, so I used those as side dishes, along with some baked seasonal witlof. Witlof is also known as Belgian endive or chicory. Admittedly it is not going to be to everyone's taste, with it's bitter character, but I found that it worked really well with the sweetness of the beetroot that I baked with plenty of red onions, garlic, honey and balsamic.

The result was a delicious succulent roast with a real Autumn flavour. I made a jug of gravy with the resting juices from the beef and served this along with some horseradish on the side.

A note about the beef - as with all meat, you need to give it sufficient resting time to ensure maximum flavour and tenderness. I have found this to be particularly true of topside beef, which was what I used for this recipe. Don't be tempted to rush this step. There are two different schools of thought when it comes to whether or not you cover the meat with foil while it is resting. I have been reading a very funny Twitter exchange online recently between Anthony Bourdain and others about this subject - I strongly stand in Bourdain's camp and believe in not covering the meat. It continues to cook after you remove it from the heat anyway, so covering it with foil will just keep more heat in and therefore extend the cooking process even further. This means that meat that was cooked to perfection when you pulled it out of the oven can end up badly overcooked and as tough as old boots when you come to serve it. Those worried about the meat getting cold as it is resting need not be - as long as you put it somewhere relatively warm, it will be fine.

So everyone, check out your greengrocer or farmer's market, see what is coming in to season and give your cooking a transitional seasonal makeover. Also check out my continuously updated list of what is in season on the right hand side of this web page. Our Saturday night roast certainly took on an Autumnal twist as a result of some seasonal inspiration - what seasonal ingredients will you explore this week?

Juniper Roasted Beef

with Autumn vegetables

and caramelised balsamic beetroot

You will need: 1kg piece roasting beef (I used topside), 10 juniper berries, 2 teaspoons celery salt, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 large carrots, 2 whole witlof, 6-8 kipfler potatoes, 4 whole beetroot, 1 large red onion, 3 cloves garlic, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon grated mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, a little extra olive oil.

Method: Preheat the oven to 220C. Place the whole beetroot in boiling water and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and run them under cold water. Now remove the skins - they should come right off easily with your hands. Cut the beetroot into quarters. Slice the red onion into thick pieces and place in a small ovenproof dish with the beetroot. Roughly chop the garlic and add to the dish, along with the honey, balsamic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Bake the beetroot, turning a few times for around 30 minutes.

While the beetroot is cooking, prepare the meat. Crush the juniper berries and combine with the celery salt, paprika, pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well and rub into the meat. Allow to infuse for at least 15 minutes. Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking it. Taking it right out of the fridge and straight into the oven/BBQ will result in tough, dry meat.

Place the meat into the preheated oven (or use the Weber like I did) and bake with the potatoes for 20-25 minutes (rare) 30 mins (medium) 40 minutes (Well done) Allow the meat to rest uncovered for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

While the meat is cooking, cut the witlof into quarters and the carrots into long thick batons. Place in a shallow baking dish with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, sprinkle the cheese over the witlof and return to the oven until the cheese is just melted.

Slice the beef into thick slices, assemble the dish and top with a little fresh parsley to serve.

Serves 2-4

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Little Bites of Goodness

We have been making a conscious effort in our household to eat a lot more healthily lately - which means cutting down on meat, fat and sugar and upping the vegetable content of everything. Today I am heading off to meet with our book club group (today's book for discussion - Joseph Conrad's tale of colonialism and man's dark nature -  "Heart of Darkness") Just because the subject we are discussing this afternoon is uber heavy, doesn't mean that the snacks for the afternoon have to be - so I made a batch of these delicious savoury muffin bites to take for the refreshment table.

These little muffin bites are full of vegetables, as well as gorgeous sorrel from my garden (you can substitute baby spinach if you can't find sorrel) and very low fat cheese, so they are good for you, as well as being delicious. They are also quick and easy to throw together. They have a very moist, soft texture due to the vegetables and the cheese and do not resemble the more "cakey" style muffins.

These muffins are also my first attempt to include Chia seeds in my cooking. Chia seeds contain an insane amount of anti-oxidants, fibre, protein and omega 3 oils -  as well as having lots of other health benefits - balancing blood sugar levels,helping to regulate blood pressure, having anti aging and anti inflammatory properties and providing a boost of energy without caffeine or drugs.

So, these little bites of healthy goodness will provide a dose of good stuff, whilst not being bad for the waistline or the tastebuds either. They would be great in lunchboxes or as a healthy snack. You can of course bake large ones if you want to - the recipe below will make 6 muffins if you decide to do that. Otherwise, the amount below will bake 12 mini muffins.

Vegetable and Chia Seed Muffin Bites

You will need: 2 cups self raising flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1 cup low fat milk, 1/2 cup reduced fat grated cheese, 1 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup chia seeds, 1 cup grated carrot, 1 cup grated zucchini, 1 leek sliced finely, 1 cup finely chopped sorrel or baby spinach, olive oil spray.


Method: Preheat the oven to 200C. Spray a pan with a little oil and cook the leeks until soft. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt, chia seed, grated cheese. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and cottage cheese.

Add the grated carrot, zucchini, leek and sorrel/spinach to the dry mixture and combine gently. Now add the wet mixture and fold through with a spatula until just mixed.

Spray a mini muffin tin with oil and spoon the mixture into the pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they start to turn golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing them from the pan.

Makes about 12 small muffin bites.

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So Corny...

Last weekend we had a hankering for juicy, golden roast chicken cooked over the coals on the Weber BBQ. I decided to do something a bit different with the stuffing - replacing the standard herb stuffing with one based on a vegetable favourite - sweetcorn. I also added another of my most loved ingredients, proscuitto. The result was a beautiful savoury stuffing that had the lovely sweetness of the corn but also the salty tang of the proscuitto. To change it up a bit more, I also took fresh tarragon from the herb garden and made a little tarragon and garlic butter which I put under the skin of the chicken. As it cooked, the flesh was infused with the butter which made for a succulent and aromatic result. During the cooking process, I basted the chicken with the delicious juices to ensure maximum flavour.

Make sure you chose a good quality free range chicken and always dry your chicken inside and out with paper towels before you stuff or cook it. You will get great crispy skin and a much better result. Being only the two of us, we had heaps of chicken left over for the next day - I ended up throwing the chopped leftover chicken into a quick and easy fried rice dish. Worked a treat.

Some of you have been asking about the wedding plans - well, we have settled on the menu for the 16 April - our caterers have been completely brilliant so far and we have tasted all the delights that our guests will enjoy on the big day. We didn't want anything overly formal. Never been a fan of the alternating "beef or chicken" type of thing and also didn't want a buffet. We want our guests to have choice without getting up from the table, so we have come up with a great solution that will give us a touch of informality, but presented with a bit of style. I love the menu that we have created - can't wait to share it with you. Yes, you have to wait! I promise to post all the details with pics before we get on that plane to Paris for our honeymoon on the19th April.

Now, back to today's gorgeous golden, corny chook......

Chicken with Tarragon Butter

and Corn & Proscuitto stuffing

 

You will need:

For the chicken/tarragon butter: 1 whole free range chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon, 3 cloves finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper.


For the stuffing: 2 cups cooked corn kernels, 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, 6 slices proscuitto, 1 large red onion, 2 cloves garlic, splash of olive oil,1 free range egg, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, pinch cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons freshly chopped tarragon.


Method:
First, make your stuffing - Place the corn in a food processor and blitz it for a few seconds until the kernels are broken down into smaller pieces. You do not want a puree – ensure that the corn has some texture.


Chop the onion and garlic and cook with a splash of olive oil on a medium heat until the onion is soft. Roughly chop the prosciutto and add to the onion. Cook for a further 5 minutes.


Combine all of the ingredients together and mix very well until it binds well (clean hands work best for this) Stuff the chicken with the stuffing.


Now make the tarragon butter – combine the butter, garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper and mix very well. Gently push the butter under the skin of the chicken, being careful not to tear the chicken skin as you go. Try to get the butter down near the legs as well as the breast. Rub the chicken all over with a touch of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.


Bake for 60-80 minutes, depending on the size of your chook. Let the chicken rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes once it is out of the oven.


Serve with baked potatoes, whole baby carrots and asparagus.

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Comfort food - old school style

It has been rather chilly here in Sydney and nothing is nicer in the cold weather than a really hearty, old fashioned soup. My original plan was to make a soup based on vegetables, barley and ham hocks - but when I went to the butcher they had run out of ham hocks (everyone else in the neighbourhood must have had a hankering for soup making too) The lovely butcher suggested he cut me some pieces of osso bucco as an alternative and that it would work really well with the barley.

Well, the lesson here ladies and gentlemen, is listen to the butcher. He was dead right, and this soup turned out beautifully. Absolutely bursting with flavour, full of delicious nutty tasting barley and lots of veges. Not only was it tasty, warming and satisfying - it was also super healthy. I cooked the soup for around 3 hours, so it isn't one to whip up after work or when you are in a hurry. It does however, freeze beautifully, so do a big batch on the weekend and freeze it in portions to have whenever you fancy.

I love the addition of silverbeet to this soup - please note that we are talking silverbeet here (the big tall dark green leaved stuff with the white stalks. Also known as Chard) not English spinach. English spinach is far too delicate for this super robust dish. If you really hate silverbeet, then just leave it out - but I love my greens and I think it really adds extra flavour and texture to this soup. I also prefer the soup to be quite thick, but add more stock or water if you prefer it a bit lighter. I was so happy with the addittion of the osso bucco to this soup I will be doing it this way from now on. Try it and see if you agree....

Beef and barley soup

You will need: 2 medium carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 leek (use only the white part), 2 brown onions, 3 or 4 stalks of celery, 1 bunch silverbeet, 2 medium potatoes, 3 pieces of beef osso bucco (with the bone still attached of course! You want that precious marrow), 1 cup dried barley, 2 litres beef stock (I just used the commercial kind from the supermarket, but if you have homemade stock, then use it), 3 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 bunch fresh continental parsley, a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Wash the carrots, parsnip and potatoes thoroughly. Leaving the skins on, (more flavour and more vitamins!) dice them into pieces 1-2 cm in size. If you want super chunky soup, then by all means cut them bigger. Now cut your celery into pieces, around the same size as your other veges. Set your veges aside.

Cut the really thick white stalks from the silverbeet and then slice the green part - you can cut it quite thickly as it will shrink a lot once you cook it. Set the silverbeet aside. Slice the leeks, dice your onions and finely chop the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, leek and garlic and cook them on a medium heat until they are soft and slightly transparent. Add the carrot, parsnip, potato, celery, bay leaves, cayenne pepper and  season with a generous pinch of salt. Cook the veges for about 10 mins, stirring regularly so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the osso bucco and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the beef stock and top the pot up with water so that it only leaves about 3 fingers width of space between the liquid level and the top of the pot. Cover the pot until it comes to the boil and then turn it down to a very gentle simmer. Allow to simmer like this, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours.

After 2 hours, add the barley and stir it in well. Simmer for a further 45 minutes and then add the silverbeet. Let the soup cook for another 15 mins or so. If it gets too thick, just add some hot water. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required.

By this stage most of the meat - if not all - should have fallen off the bones. Remove the meat and bones and chop any larger pieces of the meat into smallish pieces. If there is still marrow in the bones, then remove it and chop it up too. Return all of the meat (minus the bones) to the pot.

Just before serving, chop up the fresh parsley and fold it through the soup, keeping a little in reserve to put on the top. Serve with crusty bread.

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Comfort food - Italiano!

Is there a person alive who doesn't love a good schnitzel? I think it rates as one of the ultimate comfort foods and the other night I really felt like some comfort, so I decided to do a simple chicken schnitzel. As it turned out, I also had some eggplant in the fridge so what started as a basic schnitzel turned into something else entirely, with a distinctive Italian flavour. I simply prepared the chicken schnitzels as you normally would - well seasoned flour, then some beaten egg and breadcrumbs and in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes or so before shallow frying the chicken.

While the chicken was chilling, I sliced the eggplant thinly and then cooked the slices in a very lightly oiled pan until it started to colour. I also made a simple tomato based sauce at the same time. Once I had cooked the chicken, I spread on a thin layer of the tomato sauce, topped the chicken with the eggplant, then some more sauce. I then added a mixture of mozzerella and parmesan cheese and baked the chicken in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes or so. Easy.

Chicken Melanzane

with asparagus, baby carrots and white anchovy and caper butter

I had been to the organic market the day before and had bought some lovely baby carrots and asparagus as well as some white anchovies and these formed the basis for a side dish to serve with the chicken. The butter that I used as a dressing for the vegetables would also work really well as a simple sauce for filled pasta, such as tortellini or ravioli. You can also make a batch of the butter and freeze it.

To make the butter, I just finely chopped a handful of capers and 5 or 6 white anchovies. Add this to a couple of tablespoons unsalted butter, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a generous amount of black pepper. Mix well and then just toss through the hot vegetables. Delicious.

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Viva l'italia !

Spaghetti bolognaise would have to be one of my favourite comfort foods and it is a dish that most people really love. I have two distinct ways of making the bolognaise sauce for this - the first is the "I just got home from work and I'm starving and I want dinner asap" version which is pretty quick and basic, and the recipe I would like to share with you today, the "Lovingly simmered as if made by your own Italian Nonna" version. This version should be allowed to slow cook for at least a couple of hours. It takes its cue from the more traditional approach to bolognaise and contains two kinds of meat - beef and pork. The flavour is beautiful and that extra time makes all the difference!

Today I decided to go a step further and make a large tray of lasagne using the bolognaise sauce - I don't make it that often and usually cook it with the aim of freezing it in one serving portions for a quick and easy dinner. I have included my lasagne recipe too, if you are so inclined.

I have a real soft spot for Italian cuisine - I am not Italian (often people ask me if I am!) but when I was growing up, my parents had close friends from the north of Italy - the Bertollini's who ran an old school Italian family restaurant in the town of Seymour in country Victoria. They often took care of me and I remember playing in the kitchen of the restaurant where the old lady, Nonna would hand make pasta for the restaurant. She was always in the kitchen and I don't think I ever saw her without her apron on. Although I was very young, they made a huge impression on me. They were loud, loving and chaotic and food was always the centre of their world. I remember the incredible aromas from that kitchen, beautiful northern Italian dishes - I still remember the sublime smell of wild rabbit cooked with garlic and rosemary and slow cooked sauces and ragu. My most vivid childhood food memory is standing on a chair so that I could reach the table and Nonna showing me how to hand roll Gnocchi by rolling it off the fork, a skill I took into my adult life and into my own kitchen.

I spent so much time with them that I actually spoke Italian before I spoke English and would apparently speak Italian at lightening speed to my bemused non- Italian speaking Australian mother. I would also drink the Bertollini's homemade wine like a little Italian kid. My mother tells the story that I usually protested when they tried to top my glass up with water - the older you are, the more wine and the less water you are supposed to get. Bambinos only get a little splash of wine. I didn't like this at all and would tip the watered down wine into the sink and yell Vino! Vino! until I got a higher wine/water ratio. My love of wine clearly carried through to my adulthood. I blame the Bertollini's!!

Nonna's Slow Cooked Bolognaise Sauce

You will need: 500g minced beef, 500g minced pork, 2 medium carrots, 3 sticks celery, 2 large onions, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley stalks (no leaves) , 3 large cloves finely chopped garlic, olive oil, 700ml Passata (or 2 x cans crushed tomatoes), 1 1/2 cups red wine (I use Shiraz), 1litre beef stock, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon mild paprika, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 3 teaspoons sugar, salt, pepper.

Method: Chop the carrots, celery and onions into small cubes. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan and then add the carrot, celery, onion and parsley stalks. Cook on a medium/high heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion starts to turn transparent. Add the mince and garlic. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the meat is all browned. Add the paprika, cayenne and nutmeg and combine well.

Turn up the heat and add the red wine. Combine well with the meat mixture and let it bubble vigorously for about 5 minutes. Add the Passata (or tomatoes), sugar and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix well and then add the stock. Bring the pot to the boil and then reduce the heat until bubbles are only just breaking the surface of the sauce. Simmer for 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sauce does not stick on the bottom.

If the sauce becomes too dry, top up with a little bit of water as you go. When the sauce is cooked, taste it for seasoning and adjust if neccessary (this will usually depend on how salty - or not - your stock is) If your minced meat is not super lean, there may be a thin layer of oil on the top of the sauce when it cools. Simply spoon this off before serving, or dividing into containers for freezing.

This recipe will make enough for a large Lasagne, or 4-6 takeaway containers of sauce to freeze. Each container will serve 2-4 people if serving with spaghetti or other pasta.

 Lasagne al Forno (Baked Lasagne)

You will need: 1 quantity of slow cooked bolognaise sauce (see above), 4 cups milk (plus a little extra), 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour, 2 heaped tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzerella is good), 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, Generous pinch cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, salt, pepper, 1 pack fresh lasagne sheets.

Method: In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and using a whisk, combine well. Allow the flour and butter to cook for a few minutes, being careful not to brown or burn the mixture. The flour will take on a pale appearence as it cooks. This is what is called a white roux, and is the basis for your bechamel sauce.

Remove the pan from the heat and add about a quarter of the milk, whisking constantly until it is smooth. Keep adding the milk until it is all combined. Return the pan to the heat and cook on a medium heat until it starts to thicken. Add the cayenne, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in more milk. When it is the consistency of custard, remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 240C. Line a baking dish with baking paper. Put a few tablespoons of the bolognaise in the bottom of the dish, then a layer of pasta, another layer of bolognaise and another of pasta. Now add half of the bechamel sauce, and complete the layers of pasta and bolognaise until you are left with a pasta layer on top. Add the rest of the bechamel to the top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with a piece of baking paper.

Cook for 45-50 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the lasagne is browned on the top. Allow to stand uncovered for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Don't be tempted to try to cut it into portions the second it is out of the oven - it needs time to rest. It will be easier to handle and will look much better if you are patient. This dish is ideal for making the day before serving (just reheat) and is suitable for freezing. Serves 8-10 people.

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Luscious Louisiana

"There is no dish which at the same time so tickles the palate, satisfies the appetite, furnished the body with nutriment sufficient to carry on the physical requirements, and costs so little as a Creole Gumbo. It is a dinner in itself, being soup, piece de résistance, entremet and vegetable in one.”

-William H. Coleman,

Historical Sketch Book and Guide to New Orleans and Environs

Gumbo originated in New Orleans, Louisiana and to me represents multiculturalism in a pot. It combines the flavours of Africa, Spain, Native America and France to produce a dish full of flavour, that owes its heritage to many people and many places. It is said that there are as many ways to cook Gumbo as there are cooks, so you will see many different versions. It is a thick soup/stew that contains rice (if there is no rice actually in it, it is always served with rice on the side) to this, broth and other ingredients are added. Some use pork, chicken, sausage and seafood, some use just vegetables. The Cajun folks tend to make a darker, heavier Gumbo that has a roux (flour and browned butter) as a base and does not use tomatoes. The Creole style uses tomatoes, and okra (which does the same job as the roux, binding the dish) The Native Americans use leaves from the Sassafrass tree to do the same.

My Gourmet Goddess version tonight borrows from the Creole tradition and uses purely seafood. I chose flathead fillets, clams, calamari and prawns. I also used chilli in the dish, which is not usually done - it is usually served seperately in the form of chilli sauce (like Tabasco) so people can add as little or as much as they like. I was just cooking for myself tonight, and I know what I like so I just put the chilli right in there! Feel free to use it or not.

Some notes about the ingredients....

Tabasco Smoked Chipotle Sauce - This particular Tabasco isn't that easy to find in Australia, although if you live in the city, the David Jones Foodhall does stock it in their "American" section. You can also buy it online. USA foods out of Melbourne is a good source if you live in Australia. http://www.usafoods.com.au/

 If you can't get it, don't worry - just use normal Tabasco from the supermarket. It will not the have the same slightly smoky undertaste, but it will still taste good.

Okra - If you are not familiar with this vegetable, it is a long green pod native to West Africa and is related to the Hibiscus plant. Although it originated in Africa, it spread with the slave trade and is now eaten all over the world, throughout Asia and the Middle East, America, Nepal and India. When you slice it, it releases a clear sap that helps to thicken any dish that contains it. The texture when cooked is pleasantly gelatinous and it soaks up flavours particularly well. I think that it is at its best in Gumbo.

So, to tonight's dish - this amount will serve 4 people and you can freeze it , but if you do be sure to remove the meat from the clams first and disgard the shells.

Gourmet Goddess Creole Gumbo

You will need: 1 large onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1 large potato, 1 tin diced/crushed tomatoes, a couple of handfuls of okra (chop them into three), 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon paprika, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 red chilli chopped finely, 2 white fish fillets chopped into chunky pieces (I used flathead this time), a couple of handfuls of clams in the shell, 6 shelled raw king prawns, 1 medium calamari/squid cut into rings, 1 litre fish or vegetable stock, 1 cup cooked white rice, Tabasco Sauce (the smoked chipotle version if you can get it, otherwise just use the normal one) salt and pepper, olive oil, fresh parsley to serve.

Method : Dice the onion, carrot, celery and potato into small cubes. Heat a splash of olive oil in a deep pan and add the chopped vegetables, along with the bay leaf, garlic and chilli. Cook on a medium heat until the onion starts to turn translucent. Add the okra and combine well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, tabasco, sugar and stock. Allow to simmer for 15minutes, then add the cooked rice. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the seafood, combine well season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on the pan and let the seafood cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. The dish is ready when the clams open up (disgard any that do not) Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

Serve in soup bowls with fresh parsley.

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Pumpkin Head

Today I decided to make some soup to have for my lunch this week. My criteria was that I wanted something with Asian inspired flavours, it had to be vegetarian and it had to be good for me. I love pumpkin soup, so I played around with my usual pumpkin soup recipe and came up with something brand new, that ticked all the boxes. The result is today's recipe - Spicy Pumpkin and Coconut Soup.

Because I wanted a coconut flavour, but still wanted the soup to be healthy (An average 400ml tin of Coconut milk has a whopping 60g of fat in it, which is ok for the occasional treat - but I planned to eat this soup almost every day this week!) I decided to try the reduced fat coconut infused evaporated milk from the supermarket. I have never used this before and frankly I wasn't convinced that it would be all that great but I was pleasantly suprised by the result. Rich coconut flavour? Check. Creamy texture? Check. Low fat option? Check. (It only has around 6g of fat in a whole tin)

The soup has a lovely velvety texture and has a delicious aromatic taste, with the addition of ginger, garlic, chilli and of course the coconut. Serve the soup with fresh coriander and some extra fresh chilli to ramp up the flavour even more.

Spicy Pumpkin and Coconut Soup

You will need: 500g pumpkin, 1 large onion, 2 large carrots, 2 large potatoes, 4 cloves garlic, 4cm piece ginger, 1 x 375ml tin coconut evaporated milk, 1.5 litres vegetable stock, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder (or more, if you want it spicier), salt and pepper to taste. Fresh coriander and chilli to serve.

Method: Peel and then roughly chop the ginger, garlic and onions. Set aside. Peel and roughly chop the pumpkin, potatoes and carrots.

Heat the oil in a pot and add the garlic, onion and ginger. Cook on a medium heat until the onion starts to turn transparent. Add the pumpkin, potato, carrots and the chilli powder. Combine well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the vegetable stock and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and allow it to simmer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add the evaporated milk and mix well. Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes.

Blend the soup until very smooth with a hand blender or food processor. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Serve with fresh chilli and coriander.

Serves 6

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